Posted by Simguy on 1/10/2008, 5:56 pm.

BEFORE: Watts relegated to regional club shows and Pac Rim resort fights by Virginie’s supremacy over the last few years—Naomi pulling out all the stop to get out from under Ledoyen’s thumb. “I’ve retained Hisae Watanabe to help me develop my right hand,” says the shiny-tanned blonde in prefight, “Once I destroy Ledoyen, all I ask is that I be given the push that she got last year. If Tech gets me 17 fights—I guarantee I will deliver a championship. And unlike Virginie, I will KEEP it!” Ledoyen more amused than anything else, smiling and pretty at the podium. “Poor Naomi. Every year it’s the same thing—‘I will smash Virginie’, ‘Virginie will be massacred’—so on and so forth. And every year I batter Naomi. Now she’s brought in some depressing little gargoyle to help her punch? How desperate can this woman get? Nothing will change: I will resecure my position and go back on the attack in the 110 pound division. Naomi will continue to be dinner entertainment in Thailand.”

Naomi in pretty teal sport top (“Huckabees”) with collar; white bikini bottoms with ring connections at hip; small white gloves; short, sassy hair. Ledoyen in violet bikini; small white gloves; dark brown ringlets tied back off her face.

During R1: Naomi leggy, roaming the ring, looking Virginie over. Ledoyen stalking, dukes up, crouching forward—taking canvas from fleet-footed blonde. No harm done—Watts denying battle—Ledoyen the aggressor takes the points.

R2: Naomi continuing to step lively, starting to show a classy jab, getting Virginie to bob. Minute mark—Watts rotating to her right hops in, dips forward, pulls a slinging, lariat right hand around and POUNDS Virginie upside the head. Shocking wallop carrying all of Naomi’s slender weight behind it—Ledoyen belted a quarter turn to her right staggers sideways to ropes. Naomi brightening, moves in to jab jug, hook tummy, then disengage—she can see Virginie’s already shaking off the shot. Watts boxes out of the round—circling woozy French girl, pecking jabs at her, dropping in the odd accurate, straight right we’re used to seeing from Watts.

R3: Virginie recovers well, goes on the offensive again. Ledoyen forward in supple crouches, pulling sweeping rights and lefts around as she dips side to side—helps her to cut off the ring as Naomi bounds away from the power. Ropes: Watts trapped at apron—hands at temples—Virginie tightening up stroke, bouncing short, curling lefts and rights off Watts’ ribcage. Naomi clinching with illegal neck-clasp (thank you Watanabe) and spinning Virginie into ropes to disengage—Ledoyen actively petitioning ref about the hold-and-spin routine, Shutout Ledoyen as Naomi’s purely defensive this round.

R4,5: Classic Naomi look as she pivot-steps around a crisp jab—eyes intense with concentration. Naomi going to work on Virginie’s eyebrows, forcing French woman to weave low—Virginie crouching, having trouble collapsing the gap on Watts. Some straight right hands off the front (left) foot from Naomi—pinging shots—nothing like the swinging weight-transference we saw earlier. Whenever Virginie DOES penetrate—Naomi neck-clasping and spinning her, then disengaging—Watts very much an Australasian approach tonight. Ledoyen unhurt, but being contained/controlled through 5.

R6: Ledoyen roughs the play—rushing in recklessly, headbutting Naomi when Watts tries to clasp-up. Fight stumbles to ropes as Virginie steps into walking barrage to drive Watts back—then brunette lowers her head to punish slender blonde ribcage. Naomi gasping, clinching: Virginie vigorously bodying Watts into ropes—legs stamping for traction as she wraps up and pushes in. Fight skids along the ropes—Virginie on top: Ledoyen doing good scuffing harm here. Late the round—Naomi trying to spin and disengage: VL steps-with, swings and overhand right upside Watts’ head and NAOMI’S HURT! Watts’ eyes suddenly glassy, pleading—she desperately drapes off Ledoyen’s neck as Virginie tries to dig blonde gut at bell.

R7: Spirited two-way play in wide ranging action, Watts circling, baring her teeth as she leans into harsh straight rights/leans out with hooks. Ledoyen crouching, slinging overhand lefts and rights as she’s stepping forward—bludgeoning Naomi’s head and shoulders with power. Fight traverses the ring as Watts shows leg—blonde ring generalship proving a difference maker as Ledoyen can’t pile on extra touches.

R8: Same wide ranging, intense give and take. Watts jabbing well, busting Virginie up around the eyes and hooking her breasts to some effect. Ledoyen cutting off the ring, forcing her way in with overhand rights, then scrounging to ribcage with both hands as Watts looks to disengage. Fight bounces off all four ropes—Ledoyen hounding Watts. Late the round—Virginie bounces another big right hand off Naomi’s head, buckling blonde legs and spilling Watts to ropes, Naomi earmuffed up, sitting in strands: Ledoyen salts way the round with vigorous two-handed pummeling of Naomi’s drum-tight torso.

R9: Naomi jabbing Virginie’s left eye, stepping right to turn Virginie’s left flank: Ledoyen starting to wince as the eye swells badly this round. Minute mark—Virginie bending low at the waist, trying to get under Naomi’s nasty poke: Watts pivoting to her right, hops in—her right hand trailing behind her: she leans forward, pulling the right up and around, slinging it FLUSH to Virginie’s left-side jawline. DOWN GOES VIRGINIE! Thunderclap, swinging shot swivels French noggin—Ledoyen already bent over, jackknifes face-first into mat, then her legs straight out behind her as she sprawls belly down. Watts in hysterics—leaping away hands in the air, screeching: poor Virginie propping up on her elbows, shaking her head, bravely struggles up at 9. Ledoyen swaying on the spot, blinking in stupor: Naomi with that aggressive hop in—loops another searing right over top (missing) coming back with a whippy left hand in behind Virginie’s right elbow. Quick neck clasp to pull Virginie’s head down while shoving her back into ropes, then a right uppercut while left’s still holding behind the head: Virginie rocked upright, never sees the hook that puts her down for the second time, Ledoyen on her back, blinking, hands up as elbows plant in canvas at her sides—Watts pumping her fist—pointing her fist at a grinning Watanabe ringside. Virginie bravely up off the mat again, but tragically hurt—she cringes under the weight of a galloping blonde body assault at the bell.

R10: Ledoyen with a spirited first minute, driving Naomi back with those crazy, swinging side to side roundhouses out of the crouch. Watts legging out of range, circling, curving back in—she’s got Virginie hurt, stays on her with the jab, continuing to pound those lovely eyes shut. Second minute, Naomi wrestles control of the round away from Virginie, extending on heavy lefts and rights to head and body, driving Ledoyen to ropes at the stagger. Virginie harmed, open-mouthed, dukes at temples: Watts snarling as she moves in. Pesky jab taps at French tummy, then Naomi loops that whip-torque right hand over the top, bending into the blast and catching Ledoyen flush upside the head. Virginie punched sideways to ropes, showing her left side to Naomi while covering up woozy. Round ends to the sight of Watts all-in—pounding straight rights and lefts palm-down into Virginie’s shoulder and left ear at bell, Comes back UD10—Naomi Watts.

After: Ledoyen stunned, blinking back tears—brave little brunette able to shake off Naomi’s best to go the distance, but badly shaken by the loss nonetheless. Watts crying with joy—waving at ringsiders, bowing to Watanabe—Naomi’s on top of the world, “I just would not be denied tonight,” Watts blubs in postfight, wiping away tears, “With Ledoyen beaten, there’s nothing holding me back. I’ve got young legs, I’m fresh, skilled and I’m ready to take this division by storm!” BLONDE! Magazine delighted to see a blonde A-lister potentially making a move—big interview article with Watts reveals her plans and a brazen assessment of likely comp. “I’ll definitely knock Penelope Cruz and Lindsay Lohan out cold,” Watts trumpets at one point. “Portman will probably run—but I’ll be the come-forward girl in that fight and take the points.” On and on—Naomi seemingly unable to see anyone who can threaten her at 110.

Reposted by Archer 4/6/10.